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Batavia's Coffey finds lots to relive from senior season, named Male Athlete of the Year

Batavia's Coffey finds lots to relive from senior season

By JAY SCHWAB – jschwab@shawmedia.com

June 19, 2014

Sandy Bressner - sbressner@shawmedia.com

Caption

Batavia senior Micah Coffey is the Kane County Chronicle Male Athlete of the Year. Coffey will play baseball at the University of Minnesota.

The Batavia football team’s performance in the IHSA Class 6A state championship game against Richards is the gift that keeps on giving in the Coffey household.

The Bulldogs were lights-out on Thanksgiving weekend at Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University, with senior quarterback Micah Coffey producing a signature performance as Batavia walloped Richards, 34-14, for the Bulldogs’ first state championship in program history.

Safe to say the DVD from that game has provided its share of entertainment in the months to follow.

“It’s been quite a few times,” Coffey said. “I remember getting home that night, and it was playing. The next morning it was playing, and then after I got home from church, it was still playing. It was something where if we’ve got family gatherings, people want to watch it and stuff like that.

“I’ve got certain plays that I know by memory, when this and this happens, who blocks who and stuff like that. So yeah, it’s been quite a few times.”

While the state title clincher makes for optimal encore viewing, that November afternoon was among a glut of career highlights for Coffey, a three-sport Batavia standout and the Kane County Chronicle-St. Charles Bank & Trust Male Athlete of the Year for the second straight school year.

Coffey again starred in football, basketball and baseball, with two of the three teams – Batavia’s baseball team won 23 straight games this spring – enjoying unprecedented success.

“Having won this award last year, that kind of allowed me to open my mind and realize that team success was really what I was looking for this year,” Coffey said. “Along with team success came my personal success, but obviously with football season having the year that we did, I made sure to focus that as long as we’re winning, that’s what matters.”

Coffey threw for 2,466 yards and 29 touchdowns as a senior, capped by his 15 for 18 performance with two TD throws in the state championship game.

The Bulldogs still playing football on Thanksgiving weekend made for an especially tricky transition to basketball season.

But Bulldogs basketball coach Jim Nazos said Coffey – who went on to lead the team in points scored (272) and 3-pointers made (50) – kept in close contact despite his extensive football commitments.

“There were times where he was down with football practicing and they’re getting ready for a state championship, and he would pop into basketball practice for maybe half an hour, sit there on the sideline talking to teammates, get them going through a drill,” Nazos said. “He’s the ultimate leader you would want to have on your team.”

The basketball Bulldogs struggled much of the season, but Coffey still relished his last go-around in hoops, especially the chance to play alongside his younger brother, Canaan, in Batavia’s backcourt.

“It was a blast being able to play with him this year,” Coffey said. “He’s got huge upside. I’m so excited for what he’s going to do in football [next] season and then continue into basketball. It was unfortunate he hurt his shoulder because I really wish I could have seen him throw this spring on the baseball team but I’m definitely going to keep an eye on him as he keeps going.”

As well as Batavia’s baseball season panned out – the Bulldogs’ 23-game winning streak helped produce conference and regional championships – Batavia hit an offensive lull in April, and Coffey’s brand of upbeat leadership again came into play.

“When we faced adversity in the middle of the season, he was always there to calm us down, tell us it’s going to be all good and we’re going to get back on track,” Batavia senior pitcher Jacob Piechota said.

Coffey led Batavia’s deep, veteran lineup with 32 RBIs and hit .360 for the season as the Bulldogs finished 32-4-1, falling to South Elgin in a sectional championship game.

“Definitely a huge team season,” Coffey said. “It’s unfortunate that it had to end the way it did, but definitely so grateful for the season that we had.”

Coffey played most spots on the diamond during his baseball career at Batavia. He started at first base this season before switching to third base, a spot he thinks might be a possibility when he begins his college baseball career at Minnesota.

“However I can get on the field, that’s what I’m going to do,” Coffey said.

Micah and Canaan Coffey followed in the footsteps of older brothers Jordan and Jesse Coffey, both of whom also were multisport Batavia standouts; like Micah, Jordan Coffey quarterbacked the Bulldogs in a state championship football game, in 2006. The family is extremely close-knit, with Micah calling his brothers his “role models and the best teammates in the whole world.”

They love spending time together when they’re all in town. If it’s a quiet night, there’s a certain DVD available to help pass the time.

Like so many moments throughout Micah Coffey’s Bulldogs career, it’s well worth watching.

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